How did Kevin Costner get Horizon so wrong?
Thirty years on from his mid-90s heyday, Kevin Costner still remains a star. His show Yellowstone, which he recently left under a cloud, has been a ratings hit for the last six years, leading many to wonder if the two time Oscar winner would have another crack at the big screen. His answer comes in Horizon, the first of three Westerns directed by and starring Costner.
Horizon refers to a place, a settlement in Civil War-ravaged Old West that several characters overcome their various obstacles to try and reach. Seen by many as a promise for the future, the land is in the middle of Apache territory, leading to a bloody siege.
The ‘Chapter 1’ in the film’s title does a lot of heavy lifting here, as so much of the three hour film feels like setting things up for the future. Given that this seems to be a slight at modern blockbuster filmmaking and streaming culture, it’s ironic that so much of Costner’s story feels so episodic. He may bristle at this suggestion, but the film feels like it would work better as a TV show. After two decades out of the director’s chair, Costner can still make grand flourishes with his camera, making Horizon an often beautiful place, coupled with John Debney’s gorgeous score and a vast cast of character actors who all give their best. In particular, Sienna Miller shines as a single mother surviving with grace in the violent events that unfold.
However, these fine-tuned individual elements don’t seem to come together as you would have hoped. Horizon may well turn out to be an epic trilogy that reinvents the Western genre, but until the pay off occurs this is a long and often tedious prelude.
• Horizon Chapter 1 directed by Kevin Costner is out now in cinemas